This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Commercial and residential HVAC systems require use of a fluid refrigerant. Federal, state, and local safety and environmental regulations play a role in dictating the type of refrigerant that may be utilized in a particular application. Due to environmental pollution concerns, future HVAC products will likely utilize refrigerants that are flammable. Applicable safety standards thus require the use of devices to detect refrigerant leaks in HVAC equipment. Such refrigeration-detection equipment may require periodic testing and calibration over the lifetime of the HVAC equipment. Using current technology, such testing and calibration would be performed by a technician during a service call, or the sensor or the entire refrigerant-detection device must the replaced during the service call.